Kearney Runs over Belton 42-0

Kearney all-state, senior quarterback, Carter Temple scored on an early first quarter 3-yard burst – his first touchdown of the season, and the first of six Kearney touchdowns in a 42-0 drubbing of the Belton Pirates.

The Missouri Class-4 state champions showcased their senior-laden roster scoring 35 points in the first half. Temple was 11 of 16 for 164 yards passing which included a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Matthew Lindsey. Lindsey rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

Matthew Lindsey charges into the endzone for a touchdown. Photo by Ray Weikal.

Temple ran for two more touchdowns in the second quarter helping stack Kearney’s comfortable 35-0 halftime lead. Lindsey scored again on a 13-yard run late in the third quarter giving Kearney a 42-0 lead going into a scoreless fourth quarter.

Junior running back Cruise Emmons added 45 yards on eight carries to the Bulldogs’ 251 total rushing yards.

Grant Bogert was accurate in kicking five point-after attempts. A failed 2-point attempt midway through the second quarter was remedied before halftime with senior Kale Tucking running successfully for the two-point conversion following a Carter Temple touchdown.

“Super proud of our effort,” said Kearney Head Coach Logan Minnick. “You know, this is the way we needed this game to go. Get the nerves out, hit somebody else, and hats off to our JV defense for holding the shutout.”

Kearney’s defense locked down Belton’s prolific rushing attack – which includes senior running backs Aaden Hall, Caleb Campbell, and junior quarterback Robert Rucker – holding Belton to 119 yards total offense. Belton was 0-5 in passing.

“Our linebacking corps is one of the fastest in the state,” said Kearney senior linebacker, Kale Tucking. “We may not be the biggest out there, so we try to use that speed to our advantage using our leverage.”

“Week one is always a battle to see who can adjust the fastest,” said Kearney defensive coordinator Marcus Brinkley. “We knew we were going to get some sets that we weren't prepared for, adjusting the tight end off and doing some things with their wings, knowing at any moment, they can go 80 yards. So, hats off to our kids. They did a phenomenal job adjusting to the flow of the game as it went on.”

Minnick put the win in perspective during his post-game, on-field gathering.

“Is that the best game we can play? No. And if you're winning 42-nothing and can play better we're really excited about that,” he told the team. “You know teams get so much better from week one to week two. So, we're really excited – and need to be because you’ve got a really good Grain Valley team coming in here next week.”

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldog Football 2026 Preseason Outlook

Asphalt roads bake under the scorching August heat. Parched landscapes thirst for rain, and the cooling allure of central air conditioning drives us indoors to contemplate a matter of deep, cultural significance – Kearney Bulldog Football is back!

The Bulldogs return with a perfect 14-0 record and forever possession of the state championship trophy – the bounty of a 21-14 victory over runner-up Hannibal. Photo by Ray Weikal.

The Bulldogs return with a perfect 14-0 record and forever possession of the state championship trophy – the bounty of a 21-14 victory over runner-up Hannibal.

Head Coach Logan Minnick and Defensive Coordinator, Marcus Brinkley were named 2025 Missouri Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year.

 “Congrats to Coach Brinkley as Assistant Coach of the Year,” said Minnick. “It's hard to improve on how good the defense has been the last four years. I think overall that we've given up less than 12 points a game.”

The Bulldogs are 49-4 overall under Minnick with three conference championships, three district titles, two state championships, (2023 and 2025) and a state semi-final appearance in a hard-fought loss to Lutheran North in 2024.

Kearney returns 22 seniors this season, led offensively by senior, all-state quarterback Carter Temple.

“There’s an obvious advantage to having a senior heavy team,” says Minnick. “I think if we started a game tomorrow 18 or 19 of the 22 starters would be seniors. It’s a huge advantage when it comes to leadership and experience.”

Temple threw for 1,456 yards and 18 touchdowns, ending the 2025 season with a 135.6 quarterback rating and only two interceptions. His dazzling passing stats are only half the story as Temple led the team in rushing with 1,120 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Carter Temple - Photo by Ray Weikal, 2025

“Carter Temple is a once-in-a-lifetime kid that you get to coach at the quarterback position,” said Minnick. “He was unanimously voted to team captain as a junior, which tells you all you need to know. Just seeing him play, I mean the kid has only lost one game as a starter in his career – when he was a sophomore, playing in six inches of snow.”

Standing 6’3” at 220 pounds, the three-time, state wrestling champion is a beast in the weight room. During the offseason, Temple managed a 325-pound hang clean following a one-hour training run. (There’s video proof on social media and it’s remarkable.) He bench-presses 290 and squats 505 pounds, placing him among the top 15 weightlifters at Kearney High School.

Minnick went on to say, “We've built this offense, this team, around what he does well. I don't think he'll have to carry us, but at the same time, he's a guy that's going to refuse to let us lose. We will be in every single game all year long because Carter Temple is playing quarterback.”

“We are so pumped to get this season going,” said senior quarterback Carter Temple. “Every one of us has the same mindset of going back-to-back. This team has been absolutely grinding. We know we can’t take days off. We know what we have to do to get to the top again.”

Temple has a host of receiving options. Speedy, elusive, sure-handed athletes are available as needed to execute the Logan Minnick playbook.

Caleb Stevens returns as a 6’6” 200-pound senior tight end. An exceptional athlete with all the measurables, Stevens, who showed great promise in 2024, suffered an unfortunate training camp injury which sidelined him the entire 2025 season.

“After missing last season, being healthy and back on the field is something I don’t take for granted,” Stevens said. “I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help our team compete for another state championship and hopefully go back-to-back.”

A notable training camp performer, Luke Denston, a junior, will step into one of the wide receiver positions as Coach Minnick “expects big things from him this year.”

As effectively as Kearney throws the football, in the minds of some observers, the Bulldogs’ passing attack is sometimes overshadowed by their run-heavy offense. But if you break down the multiple ways in which Kearney powered through 14 straight wins last year, there is a preponderance of evidence that suggests they are a running team with imagination – a team that will hit you hard early by pounding the football, simultaneously scheming creative ways to beat you – on the ground or in the air.

Matt Lindsey - Photo by Ray Weikal, 2025

The Minnick playbook is loaded with opportunities for Kearney’s coveted wealth of running back talent. All-state seniors, Matthew Lindsey, and Kale Tucking are back this season, and both have the ability to run off tackle, straight at you, and fly around the field on misdirection plays, short screens, or lined up as receivers.

Junior running back, Cruise Emmons returns after a strong sophomore season. The third in a family of three historically talented Kearney Bulldog running backs, Emmons is certain to be a factor this year.

“It's time for the third Emmons brother to get some reps. Cruise Emmons will be ready to rock this year and we'll line him up everywhere offensively from receiver to running back,” says Minnick.

Kearney’s offensive line is in good hands behind two returning starters and deep training camp competition to fill the remaining positions.

“We’re excited about the O-line competition,” said Minnick. We’ve got JD Romero and Cohen Dray back. We also have Sawyer Ritter back as a senior who started several games for us last year and we've got a really good battle between juniors Chace Fishback, Karter Pogue, and Brayden Carrell. Those guys are battling it out and we’ve got a little bit of depth there.”

Kale Tucking - Photo by Ray Weikal, 2025

Defensively, the Bulldogs return last year’s linebacking core led by Aidan Arellano and the Tucking twins, Luke and Kale.

Aidan Arellano is an athletic, hard-hitting, three-year starter who brings speed and run-stopping power to the linebacker position as many have seen (or experienced).

“I want to lead by example in everything we do,” said Arellano. “In practice I try to keep the same level of intensity and determination we had in last year’s practices because we know what it took to win last year. It’s gonna take that and much more this year.”

At defensive back, Senior Ashton Bringus, who had a strong showing at the state championship game returns at corner. Braylon Burnside has added muscle and played well at defensive back during training camps.

Minnick mentioned Kyle Pritzel as a player to watch in the Bulldog secondary. “Kyle Pritzel lined up at corner and safety and has really worked his tail off to step into one of those roles,” he said.

On the defensive line, Lane Cook and Grant Bogert, are blue-chip players with high expectations to build on their impressive performances last year.

“Obviously, not having the Beaver brothers will make things look different,” Minnick said. “But at the same time, you've got the Tucking twins back, you've got Aidan Arellano back, you've got a bunch of guys back who have played, so I'm excited to see what Coach Brinkley does with the defense.

“I know you'll see a more exciting brand of defense this year as far as slanting and blitzing and being a little more aggressive than what we've done in the past. So that should be exciting,” Minnick added. “I would definitely say we've put a huge emphasis on turnovers, so hopefully we can get the ball out more this year.”

The status and accolades of a state championship brings with it the proverbial “target-on-your-back”.

The Bulldogs kickoff the season at home against Belton on August 28; at home against Grain Valley, and at Smithville on week three. On week four, for the first time ever, Kearney plays Rockhurst at Rockhurst. Two weeks later, the Bulldogs travel to St. Pius to face another tough opponent. 

“We expect everyone's A-game year in and year out, game in and game out,” said Minnick. “The big thing with this senior class is a bunch of them were sophomores on the 2024 team that came up a game short. They know how that feels. That definitely fueled their whole offseason last year. These seniors want a state championship to call their own.”

“We've got a bunch of really good players back that understand what it takes to win it, and I think you'll see that from their maturity level and their understanding of what it takes to get back to where we want to be,” Minnick added.

“Hopefully we can stay healthy and continue to get better. We've got a heck of a schedule and we're looking forward to it,” said Minnick. “This should be another great season for the bulldogs.”

KPGZ News – Mike Davis, Eric Stevens, and Kelly Gentry contributed to this story.

Quarterback Club Golf Tournament Scheduled

The Kearney High School Quarterback Club is inviting the Bulldog community to hit the links for a good cause at its Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 2nd at the Excelsior Springs Golf Course.

The tournament is a fundraiser supporting the Kearney Bulldog Football program and brings together players, families, alumni, and fans for a day of golf and community spirit.

Teams of four can register for $500, and several sponsorship opportunities are available, including corporate, Bulldog, and hole sponsorships for local businesses and supporters.

All proceeds go toward providing resources and opportunities for Bulldog football student-athletes.

Registration and full event details are available at KearneyQuarterbackClub.com.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Bulldogs are 3-0 with 34-14 Win over Smithville

Kearney took another step forward in conference and district competition with a hard-hitting 34-14 victory over rival Smithville. The Warriors and Bulldogs are top-ranked teams in both Missouri Class-4 and the Suburban Blue Conference.

Kearney took another step forward in conference and district competition with a hard-hitting 34-14 victory over rival Smithville. Photo: ERic Stevens.

On a hot, 80-plus degree night in which both teams fumbled twice and turned the ball over on downs, it was a gritty performance that lived up to the hype of a long-standing rivalry.

“I’m proud of our kids’ effort. To be honest, I think we can play a little better than what we did, but anytime you beat a Smithville program, you're happy regardless of what the score is,” said head coach Logan Minnick. “That's a really good football team.”

Kearney linebacker Kale Tucking set the tone physically with a recovered Smithville fumble in the opening minutes of the game.

The Bulldogs scored first late in the first quarter on a Carter Temple 22-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Best.

Temple scored on a 3-yard keeper midway into the second quarter. A missed 2-point conversion attempt left the score 13-0.

Temple finished the game scoring three rushing touchdowns (19 carries for 80 yards) and two passing touchdowns (9 of 14 for 111 yards).

Smithville’s workhorse running back, Lincoln Roske had 97 rushing yards on 19 carries, but a stout Bulldog defense forced him into two fumbles and held him to one touchdown.

Roske scored on a 3-yard carry with two minutes to play in the first half. The Bulldogs answered with a Carter Temple goal-line blast into the endzone, giving Kearney a 20-7 halftime advantage.

Temple threw to running back Dryden Hendrix on a spectacular 40-yard catch and run with 4:28 to go in the fourth quarter.

Smithville came back with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinten Morse to Peyton Steffen with 9:22 remaining in the game.

“After they get that touchdown on fourth down – what a catch by (Steffen) – we had two guys on it, and he still comes up with it,” said Minnick. “I told our offense, (Smithville) is not getting the football back. We're going on a 7-minute drive here. We're closing this game out. We're going to play Kearney football, we're not going to put it in the air, we're going to run the football and win in the weight room.”

Kearney travels to Class-6 Park Hill next week. Bulldog linebacker Aiden Arellano, one of the team’s leading tacklers, sees room for improvement.

“We need to play better than we did tonight,” said Arellano. “We obviously did very well but that's not our best.”

The most satisfying story about this team so far this season is the Kearney Bulldogs just beat their state-ranked rival by 20 points and held them to two touchdowns. And according to the head coach and team leaders, this 3-0 Kearney Bulldog football team – with a nasty defense, a dual-threat, touchdown machine at quarterback, starter-level player depth across the roster, and a state-level, top-tier coaching staff – all recognize there is so much more to accomplish.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.

Bulldogs Take Down Grandview 56-13

Kearney held a 50-7 lead at halftime against conference opponent, Grandview Bulldogs. Junior quarterback Carter Temple connected on 17 of 23 passing attempts for 308 yards and five touchdowns. Temple spread the ball to 7 receivers with Dryden Hendrix (65 yards) and Drew Nelson (64 yards) leading the way. Hendrix and Nelson each scored two touchdowns. Matthew Lindsey had 55 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Junior quarterback Carter Temple connected on 17 of 23 passing attempts for 308 yards and five touchdowns.

Grandview running back, Micha Rainey slipped free from the Bulldogs second unit defense with an 86-yard touchdown run at the 4:15 mark in the second quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Brad Doll, Kearney senior cornerback, returned the favor, running 75 yards for the touchdown. Carter Temple kept the ball and darted into the endzone for the 2-point conversion with 4:03 remaining in the first half.

Kearney finished out the second half with second-unit players including a number of sophomores. Micha Rainey broke free on a 10-yard touchdown scamper which would be Grandview’s only second half score. Kearney’s Matthew Lindsey finished with the final touchdown of the evening, topping off the Bulldog victory at 56-13.

The defense held Grandview to just 141 yards. Grant Bogert, Kale Tucking, Lane Cook and Isaac Beaver all recorded sacks on the night. The Kearney Bulldog offense finished the evening averaging 11.8 yards per play.

The Bulldogs host rival Smithville this Friday at Bulldog High School Stadium.

KPGZ News – Mike Davis contributed to this story.